Hochzeiten (2012)

Klara, a Munich nursery owner, is awarded the environmental prize for reforesting the surrounding area. She has been divorced from Bernhard, a major industrialist who builds aircraft that are not particularly environmentally friendly, for 20 years, ever since she caught him having an affair. Their daughter Sophie, an aircraft engineer who works for her father, wants to marry her colleague Ingo and expects her parents to sit down together to plan the wedding. Klara, however, thinks that the workaholic Ingo is not right for her daughter, especially since Sophie’s great love, Hans—the writer and globetrotter—has returned home after 14 years. He finds temporary shelter with Klara. Meanwhile, Bernhard, who has been married for some time to Nicole, who is much younger than he is, needs his ex-wife’s help. Things are not going well at his aircraft factory. Only a deal with an Indian industrialist can save his company. Since the Indian was once in love with Klara, Bernhard hopes she can persuade him to support the aircraft factory. Bernhard therefore drives to a mountain hut where Klara is going to spend the night. When Klara finds Bernhard there—much to her annoyance, he always calls her Claire—she angrily drives away in her utility vehicle. A landslide, however, catches the vehicle, and Klara injures her leg. Bernhard rushes to her and tends to her wound at the mountain hut. They grow close again, and eventually spend the night together. Meanwhile, Sophie wants to talk to her mother about Hans, whom she happened to run into in town. But when she arrives at Klara’s house in Munich, she finds not her mother but Hans there. He is cooking and burns his hand. Sophie bandages the wound and talks with him. Hans makes it clear that it was not his leaving that ended their relationship years ago, but her overly high expectations of him and of herself. When he kisses Sophie, she allows it for a moment, but then slaps him. She goes home and calls Ingo, who, as always, is busy with other things and does not return home until late that evening. Klara’s mother, Erna, is convinced that Klara is having an affair and lets Bernhard know as much. Although Klara and Bernhard then get into an argument, as they often do, she agrees to help him with his deal with the Indian industrialist. With her charm, she manages to persuade the Indian and close the deal. In return, she asks Bernhard to take her on a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. But first, the two of them toast their success in a private jet at Bernhard’s aircraft factory. They confess how much they still love each other. Sophie also arrives there, looking for Ingo. When she runs into him, she asks whether he wants to marry her for who she is, or whether the wedding is only about advancing his own career. Ingo evades the question, saying he has some business to attend to quickly. Sophie is left disappointed. Klara and Bernhard try to comfort their daughter. Before his daughter’s wedding, Bernhard tells his wife Nicole that he wants to divorce her. Nicole is understanding when Bernhard agrees to give her a larger sum of money as a settlement. Finally, Sophie and Hans say their vows at Klara’s nursery. Ingo is there as the witness. Shortly afterward, Klara and Bernhard board the Trans-Siberian Railway together.